Chapter 11 She is a traitor
"The matter of donating silver is now fully entrusted to the supervision of Prince Jin!" Xiao Jin's voice was as cold as a knife. "Anyone who fails to receive the silver within three days will be forced to leave! Anyone who dares to disobey orders..." He glanced across the hall, "Immediate execution!"
Su Xiang and the other two turned pale and hurriedly replied "yes" and retreated.
Qian Lu collapsed like a limp and was carried out by the young eunuchs.
Yun Zhao felt relieved. "How cruel! To deal with these parasites about to rebel, we should fight violence with violence!"
Zhang Fuan ordered the palace servants to quickly clean up the bloodstains, and stepped forward with a smile: "Your Majesty is wise! Now, they will have to give up at least half of their wealth!"
Xiao Jin's eyes swept over Yun Zhao, who was trying hard to be a wallflower, and a meaningful smile curved his lips. "With the 'God' by my side, my throne will only become more and more secure. I'm afraid some people...will be utterly disappointed."
Yun Zhao nodded subconsciously: "That's right! The King of Qin and the Queen Mother must be furious right now! I bet a cup of tea... no, half a cup of tea! The Queen Mother will definitely be furious!"
[I'm afraid the Empress Dowager's spies are already inside Yanying Palace!]
Just as the thought was over, a shrill announcement rang out from outside the palace: "Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager is feeling unwell. Please move to Ci'an Palace immediately!"
Yun Zhao: "..." [My crow's mouth! Has it been blessed?]
[Well, the dog emperor can only wish for good luck.]
[Just right, my legs are numb from standing so long, I'm going to take a break.]
Xiao Jin frowned slightly, then relaxed, even showing a hint of amusement: "Zhang Fuan, Yun Zhao, attend!"
Yun Zhao was stunned: [Ah? I'm going too?!]
Zhang Fuan responded immediately. Seeing Yun Zhao still stunned, he quickly pulled her sleeve and said, "Miss Yun?"
"Yes... Your Majesty!" Yun Zhao answered reluctantly.
Ci'an Palace looks not far away, but it is very tiring to walk there.
[The dog emperor sits comfortably on his sedan chair, going wherever he wants. Poor us slaves, our lives hang by a thread and we have to serve as human sedan chairs!] Yun Zhao complained furiously in his heart, his steps becoming heavier and heavier.
Xiao Jin's chilling voice floated down from the sedan chair: "Yun Zhao, is your leg broken?"
Yun Zhao gave up and said, "Ah! I can't walk anymore, Your Majesty! I'm telling you the truth!"
Xiao Jin sneered, "Come here, Yun Zhao has been disrespectful to the emperor and has no regard for his majesty. I will punish him with a stick..."
"I can walk! I can walk as fast as the wind!" Yun Zhao was startled and instantly burst out with a speed as if running for her life. She even left the emperor's sedan chair behind while jogging!
The palace maids were dumbfounded and whispered to each other: Yun Zhao is probably finished.
Zhang Fuan hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, calm down. Miss Yun has a lively personality and doesn't care about trivial matters..."
"Don't care about small matters? She's a traitor!" Xiao Jin said in an icy voice, "Sooner or later, I'll have her beaten to death!"
The corners of Zhang Fuan's mouth twitched rapidly.
Sooner or later? That means this time... it's okay!
The emperor is actually cold-faced but soft-hearted.
Yun Zhao leaned against the door frame and gasped for breath. Just as he recovered, he saw Xiao Jin had gotten off the sedan chair and was supported by Zhang Fuan as he walked into the bedroom.
Zhang Fuan turned around and gave Yun Zhao a wink, and Yun Zhao had no choice but to follow.
The hall was filled with the aroma of medicine mixed with incense, making it a bit dull.
The Queen Mother reclined on the phoenix couch. Xiao Jin approached her and asked, "Mother, you were fine yesterday. Why are you feeling unwell today?"
The Empress Dowager, supported by a palace maid, sat upright. Her gaze was sharp as she spoke directly, "Emperor! I heard you forced all civil and military officials, even the concubines, to donate silver. The war has just ended, the treasury is empty, aren't your officials also struggling? Where will the money come from?"
Yun Zhao lowered his head and muttered to himself, "Sure enough! He's sitting firmly with his butt facing the King of Qin!"
Xiao Jin released the hand that had been supporting the empress dowager, and his voice grew colder, "Since your mother is not feeling well, please rest and recuperate. I, your son, will have my own ideas on the affairs of state."
"Emperor!" Empress Dowager Zhou suddenly raised her voice, carrying an unquestionable pressure. "You can't even listen to what I say? Take back your order immediately!"
Xiao Jin's jaw tightened, his eyes as cold as a pond. "Sir, don't joke! The order has been issued, and there is absolutely no reason to change it!"
"You!" The Queen Mother's chest heaved, and she looked heartbroken. "How many people have you killed since you ascended the throne? If you do this again, you will be deserted by everyone! It is not easy to sit on this throne, and you just turn a deaf ear to my heartfelt words?!" She reached out to grab Xiao Jin's sleeve, her gesture earnest.
Yun Zhao sneered inwardly: "Act! Keep acting! If it weren't for the need to secure your throne as Empress Dowager, would you have accepted this cheap son? Even your own flesh and blood can't compare to your wealth and glory!"
Xiao Jin stood up suddenly, his sleeves bringing up a gust of cold wind: "Mother, please take a rest! I still have state affairs to decide, so I can't stay long." He turned and left, his back resolute.
Yun Zhao hurried to catch up, and finally glanced at the empress dowager, whose face was ashen on the couch: [Tsk tsk, after all, they are not my biological children. I will never be able to get away with this in my lifetime!]
On the return journey, Xiao Jin remained silent, his demeanor frighteningly low. Yun Zhao forced his heavy eyelids open, hoping to hand over his shift to Wu Lingyu soon.
As soon as he entered Yanying Hall, Wu Lingyu was already waiting with a teacup in hand. A white jade cup with a sunflower-shaped mouth, the tea liquor was clear, the smoke curled, and the elegant aroma was just right—it was exactly the kind of tea Xiao Jin preferred before meals.
Yun Zhao secretly admired him: [As expected of an old man who has served in the Imperial Court for three years, his eyesight is impeccable.]
Xiao Jin took the tea, drank it in a few sips, and the gloomy expression on his brow eased a little.
Yun Zhao was already exhausted, and even the aroma of lunch did not arouse his appetite. He collapsed on the small couch in the duty room.
In a daze, the huge weight of one hundred thousand taels of silver weighed on my heart.
[The dog emperor is really crazy! How can the Yun family afford a hundred thousand taels now?] What shocked her even more was that this hot potato was actually passed on to Prince Jin Xiao Heng!
[This time... Xiao Heng is going to be skinned alive by those old foxes!]
What was strange was that until dusk, there was dead silence inside and outside the palace.
There were no ministers crying out, no family members handing over signs, it was as if the thunderous decree had plunged into a deep pool without even a splash.
Yun Zhao was awakened by thirst, her throat dry as if on fire. She grabbed the cold tea and gulped it down. As soon as the rim of the cup left her lips—
"Bang!" The duty room door was kicked open!
The head aunt Su Ying and two cold-faced palace maids were blocking the doorway. Her eyes were sharp as knives, and she extended her hand directly in front of Yun Zhao. Her voice was calm and collected: "Donate silver. One ounce."
This powerful figure in Yanying Palace, who commanded twenty palace maids, was a close confidant of the emperor, just like Zhang Fuan. Now he came in person to collect this lowest level of "random donation".
Yun Zhao's heart trembled, and she immediately took out ten taels of silver from her purse and presented it respectfully: "Aunt, this is the private money I brought with me when I entered the palace. I will donate it all."
Su Ying weighed the silver and for the first time, her eyes fell on Yun Zhao's face. She asked, "The eldest daughter of the Yunguo Mansion?"
"Your servant Yun Zhao greets Auntie." Yun Zhao bowed her head and saluted with a very humble attitude. "I have been in the palace for three days and have not been able to pay my respects to Auntie sooner. This is my fault."
The corners of Su Ying's lips twitched slightly, and her eyes were meaningful: "Serve me well...." She put away the silver and left with her people as quickly and efficiently as when she came.
Yun Zhao leaned against the door frame and only then realized that a layer of cold sweat had broken out on his back.
There was still half an hour left in her shift, and she had to stuff something into her stomach, otherwise how could she survive the long night until the emperor came to bed?
As she moved to the door of the tea room, a tall figure emerged from the shadow of the pillars and blocked her way.
Jin Wang Xiao Heng was exhausted, his eyes showing a barely perceptible weariness. His voice was low, yet every word was clear: "A Zhao, don't panic. The Yun family's 100,000 taels...I'll pay for you."
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